Demountable wall structure

ABSTRACT

DEMOUNTABLE WALL PANELS ARE DISCLOSED WHICH INCLUDE CENTRALLY LOCATED PANEL SECTIONS, CEILING CLAMPS MOUNTED ON THE TOPS OF THESE PANELS, SPRING MEANS BIASING HESE CEILING CLAMPS AWAY FROM THE SECTIONS ON WHICH THELY ARE LOCATED, TOGGLE MEANS CONNECTING THE CEILING CLAMPS ON THESE SECTIONS AND MEANS FOR MOVING THE TOGGLE MEANS SO THAT THE CEILING CLAMPS ARE IN EITHER AN EXTENDED POSITION OR RETRACTED POSITION IN WHICH THEY EXTEND GENERALLY ALONG THE TOPS OF THE PANEL SECTIONS. THESE PANELS PREFERABLY ALSO INCLUDE INNER ENGAGING MEANS LOCATED ALONG THEIR SIDE EDGES AND AN ADJUSTABLE BOTTOM PLATE LOCATED ALONG THEIR BOTTOMS.

W. B. DICKSON DEMOUNTABLE WALL STRUCTURE Ma n 2, "1971 Filed Dec. 23, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mum/me WESLEY B. BIC/(501V Eon/A20 D. OER/AM ATTORNEY Marcli 2, 1971 w. B. DICKSON 3,566,559

DEMOUNTABLE WALL STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 23, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIII IHI III] 60 i Pg 60 60 g a v INVENTOE WESLEY 5. DIG/(501V //5-#= E. g 40 By H4 I 5 WARD D. OER/AM Arroeuey 1 United States Patent Olfice 3,566,559 Patented Mar. 2, 1971 US. Cl. 52-122 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Demountable wall panels are disclosed which include centrally located panel sections, ceiling clamps mounted on the tops of these panels, spring means biasing these ceiling clamps away from the sections on which they are located, toggle means connecting the ceiling clamps on these sections and means for moving the toggle means so that the ceiling clamps are in either an extended position or retracted position in which they extend generally along the tops of the panel sections. These panels preferably also include inner engaging means located along their side edges and an adjustable bottom plate located along their bottoms.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Traditionally the interior walls within buildings have been built into such buildings so as to form an integral part within them. While walls constructed integrally with a building are undoubtedly satisfactory for most purposes, they are nevertheless disadvantageous under some circumstances. To understand this it is necessary to consider the fact that the space utilization within a building may change periodically.

Thus, for example, oflice buildings, schools and the like are frequently constructed with rigid walls separating the interior of a building into different rooms for differ ent, specific utilizations. In ofiice buildings frequently the need will arise to change the sizes, shapes and locations of the oflices. With schools frequently the need will arise to change the dimensions of the classrooms. When rigid structures are used as walls within such buildings, obviously it is a relatively diflicult and normally a relatively expensive task to change or relocate such walls.

Because of this problem, a great variety of different socalled demountable wall structures have been proposed and to varying extents adopted. An understanding of this invention does not require detailed analysis of all such prior structures. Generally speaking such prior structures have suffered from any one of a series of limitations. Frequently they have been relatively expensive. On occasion they have been relatively complex and/or incapable of easy, convenient utilization. At times they have been designed so as to require some significant attachment or other connection to a building.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of this invention is to provide new and improved Wall panels which overcome various limitations of prior related structures such as are briefly indicated in the preceding discussion. A further object of this invention is to provide wall panels which may be used with a minimum of difliculty in partitioning ofi an interior wall within a building. A closely-related objective is to provide Wall panels which are not significantly attached the interior of a building, and which can be easily moved from one location to another as may be required or desired during the continuing use of the building. Other objectives of this invention are to provide wall panels of the type indicated which may be relatively inexpensively constructed and which may be easily and conveniently set up and used within a building.

In accordance with this invention these objectives are achieved by providing demountable wall panels, each of which includes a centrally-located or wall section having top, bottom and side edges, a ceiling clamp movably mounted on the top of the panel section so as to be capable of being moved towards and away from this top, spring means connecting the ceiling clamp and the panel section and biasing the ceiling clamp away from the panel section, lever means constituting a part of the toggle system connecting the ceiling clamp with the panel section and means for moving the lever means so that the ceiling clamp in one position is held adjacent the top edge of the panel section and so that in another position the ceiling clamp is biased away from the panel section by the spring means employed.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS No summary of this type is capable of completely and accurately indicating the nature of an invention such as the present invention. The actual details of this invention are best explained by referring to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a view of a part of an interior of a building withing which there are located presently-preferred embodiments of demountable wall panels of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 2--2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 33 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 4-4 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 5-5 of FIG. 4, portions of this view being broken away for convenience of illustration; and

FIG. 6 is a partial cross-sectional view taken at line 6-6 of FIG. 1.

From a careful consideration of the aforegoing objectives of this invention, of the drawings and of the remainder of this specification, it will be realized that numerous changes may be made in the demountable wall panels illustrated and described through the exercise of routine engineering skill without departing from the principles of this invention as defined by the appended claims. For this reason the illustration of a preferred embodiment of this invention and a description of it is not to be taken as limiting the invention in any respect.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawing there is shown a section of a wall composed of demountable wall panels 10 of this invention. These Wall panels 10 are mounted as hereinafter described between a floor 12 and ceiling 14 so as to lead to an existing side wall 16 within a building interior. One of the panels illustrated is provided with a door jamb 18 and a conventional door 20. The construction of this jamb 18 and door 20 is immaterial as far as the present invention is concerned. If desired, this jamb 18 and the door 20' may be constructed in accordance with conventional practice.

Each of the panels 10 has a top edge 22, a bottom edge 24 and side edges 26 and 28. In the structure shown these side edges 26 and 28 are framed by edge channels 30 which are bilaterally symmetrical as shown in FIG. 2 of the drawing. Each of the channels 30 has a generally U-shaped center section 32 having outwardly projecting ends 34. These ends 34 are provided with terminal flanges 36. One of these ends 34 on each channel 30 is provided with an abutting flange 38. The flanges 36 are designed so as to hold surface boards 40 forming a part of the panel 10 along the sides of the center section 32 parallel to one another. These center sections 32 are preferably connected by means of bolts 42 so as to hold the channels 30 in each panel rigidly with respect to the surface boards 40.

With this construction when the panels 10 are moved together to form a wall as shown, the abutting flange 38 on one of the channels 30 on a panel 10 fits up against an end 34 on a channel 30 on the next adjacent panel 10 in back of a flange 36. When the panels 10 are so positioned so as to fit against one another, the exteriors of the flanges 36 are exposed and are separated by a comparatively small slot. Such a slot may conveniently be utilized in conjunction with the abutting flanges 38 for such purposes as mounting bookshelves, a blackboard, a bulletin board or the like. The abutting flanges 38 are preferably formed of a specialized configuration as indicated for such mounting purposes. They may contain small weakened sections 44 of a so-called knock-out variety which are adapted to be punched out so that they can be used in holding conventional shelf-type fasteners.

The top edges 22 of the panels 10 are preferably provided with other differently-constructed mounting channels 46 shaped as indicated in FIG. 4 of the drawing. The channel 46 illustrated has a generally box-shaped holding subchannel 48 having a bottom 50, parallel sides 52 and an open top 54. Small, inwardly directed flanges 56 are located at the ends of the sides 52 for the purpose of limiting motion of a ceiling clamp 58.

This channel 46 is also provided with edge subchannels 60 located along the sides of the subchannel 48. These subchannels 60 are of the same general configuration as the subchannel 48, but are of smaller dimension than the subchannel 48. These subchannels 60 include open tops 62 and peripheral flanges 64. These tops 62 and flanges 64 may be used in hanging pictures or the like. Although it is not normally considered necessary, they may also be used in mounting a decorative structure along the top edge 22. These subchannels 60 carry bottom flanges 66 which fit over the surface boards 40 so as to hold the channel 46 in a panel 10 so it is supported by these boards.

The ceiling clamp 58 includes parallel sides 68 which are adapted to slide through the top 54 of the subchannel 48 against the surfaces of the flanges 56. These sides 68 include at their extremities other flanges 70 which are adapted to fit against the flanges 56 so as to limit movement of the ceiling flange 58 with respect to channel 46 and, of course, the remainder of the entire wall panel 10. In the ceiling clamp 58 the sides '68 are joined together by inwardly curved base 72 extending between the sides 68.

This base 72 is adapted to fit along the sides of flangelike projections 74 on a mounting plate 76 attached to the ceiling 14. Although it is considered preferable to utilize the mounting plate 76 with the wall panels 10, effective usable structures can be created by forming the base 72 of a different configuration so that it will directly engage and hold against a ceiling 14. The particular mounting plate 76 shown is adapted to be secured in place by a common screw 78. It includes holding flanges 80 retaining small rubber or rubber-like strips 82 adapted to engage the ceiling 14 so as to prevent unnecessary marring of this ceiling.

A small yoke 84 is connected to the base 72 of the ceiling clamp 58 by means of an appropriate conventional fastener 86. A pivot pin 88 on the yoke 84 pivotally carries an end 92 of an actuating lever 90. This lever 90 has the end 92 located at an obtuse angle to a center section 94 and another end 96 located at a right angle to this center section. This other end 96 is pivotally connected by a pin 98 to an end of a crank arm 100 mounted upon a shaft 102. This shaft 102 is rotatably carried by hearing arms 104 extending from the bottom 50 of the subchannel 48. It will be noted that a small opening 106 is located in this bottom 50 for the purpose of accommodating the lever 90. An end 108 of the shaft 102 is of a non-round shape so that this shaft 102 may be engaged with a conventional wrench so as to be turned. Access is provided to this end 108 by means of an opening 110 in one of the surface boards 40. If desired this opening 110 may be surrounded by a protective grommet 112.

This bottom 50 of the subchannel 48 also carries hold ing cylinders 114. Preferably two of these cylinders 114 are used so that each is adjacent to one of the side edges 26 or 28 in a particular panel 10. Each of the cylinders 114 carries an internal spring 116 so that such spring 116 tends to bias a piston 118 within it towards the bottom 50 of the subchannel 48. Each piston 118 used carries a piston rod 120 extending through an opening 122 in this bottom 50. The piston rods 120 are connected to the base 72 of the ceiling clamp 58 by means of conventional fasteners 124.

From a consideration of the wall panel 10 it will be obvious that the springs 116 serve as a means for biasing the ceiling clamp 58 in a panel 10 away from the central region of such a panel. When the ceiling clamp 58 is in an extended position as illustrated by full lines in the drawings, the lever 90 is in a position as shown in FIG. 5. This lever 90 may, however, be turned by rotating the shaft 102 so that the crank arm 100 and the lever 90 assume a withdrawn position as indicated in phantom towards the bottom of FIG. 5. In this position further rotation of the shaft 102 and the lever 90 is prevented by mechanical engagement as between the lever 90 and the bottom 50 of the subchannel '48.

In this position of the lever 90 the ceiling clamp 58 is withdrawn into the channel 50 generally along the top edge 22. In this position upward movement of the ceiling clamp 58 is prevented by What is referred to herein as a toggle type action. It will be noted that the pin 98 as shown in phantom in FIG. 5 is to the right of a line drawn through the pin 88 and the shaft 102. As a consequence of this, there is what may be referred to as an overcenter type action. Further rotation of the shaft 102 in a clockwise direction is prevented by means of the physical engagement described in the preceding. However, in this withdrawn position the springs 116 continue to tend to urge the ceiling clamp 58 in an upward direction. Because the pin 98 has been moved past a line drawn through pin 88 and the shaft 102 the ceiling clamp 58 is in this withdrawn position held by the springs 116 so that it cannot go any where until the shaft 102 is turned. This has the effect of locking the ceiling clamp 58 in a withdrawn position.

In such a withdrawn position a wall panel 10 may be easily moved from One location to another prior to being installed. This is considered quite advantageous in that it will normally provide ceiling clearance enabling such a panel 10 to be moved from one location to another with a minimum of difficulty. In a new location such a panel 10 is preferably located beneath a mounting plate 76. When so located the panel 10 may be installed by rotating the shaft 102 so that the lever 90 and the crank arm 100 assume positions indicated by full lines in FIG. 5 of the drawing. In this position the springs 116 will bias the ceiling clamp 58 into engagement with the mounting plate 76 so as to firmly hold the panel 10 into an extended position.

Because of the fact that frequently floors such as the floor 12 in areas where the panel 10 are to be used are not overly level or parallel to a ceiling such as the ceiling 14, it is preferred to provide a panel 10 with a floor adjustment structure 126 as indicated in FIG. 3 of the drawing. At times it will not be necessary to include a floor adjustment structure 126 such as is shown with a panel 10. However, the precise structure 126 described or other related structures may be used with a panel 10 whenever it is necessary because of the intended application.

Such an adjustment structure 126 includes a channel 128 engaging and mounted upon the surface boards 40. This channel 128 may include side flanges 130 serving an appearance function and guide flanges 132 extending parallel to the surface boards 40. Similar flanges 134 on a bottom plate 136 ride along the sides of these guide flanges 132 for the purposes of controlling the direction of movement of the plate 136. This plate 136 may include flanges 138 engaging rubber or similar members 140 which are designed to engage a floor without marring it.

A conventional threaded fastener 142 may be rotatably supported in a bushing 144 held by the plate 136 so as to be capable of being turned with respect to the plate 136. This fastener 142 carries a threaded nut 146 between the guide flanges 132. The relative position between the plate 136 and the remainder of a wall panel can be varied by turning this fastener 140 so that the position of the nut 146 is varied along the length of this fastener. In this structure 126 the channel 128 may be connected to the bottom 50 of the subchannel 48 through the use of other bolts 42 so as to secure the entire wall panel into an effective, usable structure.

With a wall panel 10 the surface boards 40 employed may be of any desired type. Further they may be provided with any desired surface coating which may be required for decorative or utilitarian purposes. When it is desired the sound transmission properties within a panel 10 may be regulated by filling the interiors of the panel 10 between the surface boards 40 with an appropriate insulating type material 148. Such materials should be of such a character and/ or secured in such manner that they will not interfere with the operation of the crank arm 100 or the lever 90 as the complete panel 10 is used. Since the panels 10 are normally held vertically, it is possible to use loose material such as material 148 since such loose material will normally fall and pack between the board 40 out of the area occupied by the crank arm 100 and the lever 90.

What is claimed is:

1. A demountable wall panel structure which comprises:

a mounting plate adapted to be secured to a ceiling,

a portion of said mounting plate extending therefrom towards a floor when said mounting plate is secured to a ceiling,

a panel section having a top, a bottom and side edges,

said panel including two spaced surface boards,

said panel also including a top, a bottom, and two side channels located along said top, bottom and side edges, respectively,

said side channels each having a U-shaped center section between said surface boards, outwardly projecting ends on said center section and terminal flanges located on said projecting ends, said surface fitting between said center section and said terminal flanges so as to be held therebetween,

means extending between said center sections of said side channels for holding said side channels with respect to said surface channels,

said top channel having a subchannel which has a bottom, parallel sides and an open top, said top channel having outwardly extending structures located on said parallel sides and bottom flanges located on said outwardly extending structures, said surface boards fitting between said parallel sides and said bottom flanges so as to hold said top channel so it is supported by said surface boards, ceiling clamp having parallel sides and a base extending between said parallel sides and joining said parallel sides, said clamp being located between the sides of said subchannel so as to extend out of said open top with said base being located above said top channel, said ceiling clamp being movable with respect to said top channel so as to be capable of being moved away from said top channel into engagement with said mounting plate, said base of said ceiling clamp being shaped so as to engage said portion of said mounting plate when moved away from said top channel into engagement with said mounting plate. spring means for biasing said ceiling clamp away from said top channel located between said surface boards and being mounted on said subchannel of said top channel and being connected to said ceiling clamp, toggle means mounted on said top channel between said surface boards and connected to said ceiling clamp, said toggle means having a first position in which said clamp is held adjacent to the remainder of said panel section against the pressure of said spring means and a second position in which said ceiling clamp is biased away from said top channel in engagement with said mounting plate by said spring means, said toggle means including a rotatable shaft for moving said toggle means from either of said positions to the other of said positions, coacting means for limiting the movement of said ceiling clamp away from said top channel located on said top channel and said ceiling clamp so as to be capable of engaging one another when said toggle means is in said second position, interfitting means at the side edges of said panel section for engaging corresponding interfitting means on an adjacent demountable wall panel structure so as to form a wall in which such panel structures are located so as to fit against one another, floor adjustment means for conforming to a floor surface located on said bottom channel, said floor adjustment means being capable of being moved with respect to said bottom channel so as to extend therefrom.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,120,031 2/1964 Bohnsack 52241 1,876,528 9/1932 Walters 52-238 3,292,321 12/1966 Schans 52241X 3,341,992 9/1967 Piper 52127 3,400,504 9/1968 Neisewander 52-127X FOREIGN PATENTS 1,281,875 1961 France 52-238 JOHN E. MURTAGH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 52-241 "H050 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent No. 3 566 559 Dated March 2 1 97] Inventor) Wesley B. Dickson It is certified that error appears in the above-identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 5, 1 ine 48, (Claim 1 l ine 15), the word --boards-- should appear after the word "surface".

Signed and sealed this 15th day of June 1971.

(SEAL) Attest:

EDWARD M.FLETCHER, JR. WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER,

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Pate] 

